Step 4: Next, open the file with the “.zip” extension, find the “Word” folder, and then locate the file with the name “settings.xml” and then delete it. Step 3: Click “Yes” when a pop-up warning message appears on your screen. Step 2: Change the file extension of the new backup file from “.docx” to.” zip.” Step 1: First and foremost, create a backup copy of the locked MS Word file. This method is easy, safe, and does not require any technical skills. And then, after the file is unlocked, you can then change it back to the appropriate word format it was before. This method involves changing the file extension of the Word file from a “.docx” or “.doc” to a “.zip” file.
This is the first method of how to edit a Word document that is locked on our list. Edit Locked Word Document by Changing File Extension